From Cleopatra to Queen Elizabeth, powerful women have always found meaningful ways to lead in society. Unfortunately, however political and economic systems often shut out women. As a result, many women have turned to the art world seeking respect and equality. However, what they find when they get there is far from perfect.

Women are Fighting Gender Inequality in the Art World

Women have often struggled to achieve recognition in the art world. Of course, there have been thousands of influential female artists over the years. However, these women had to fight hard to achieve notoriety.

University scholars recently published findings on gender equality in the arts and entertainment industry. On a positive note, they did find evidence of gender equality in limited parts of the television business. However, the vast majority of film and visual media is still impacted by gender inequality. This is true in both prestige and pay.

Anna Wintour and The Queen. Jamileh Kharrazi Women AdvocateVogue recently published an article highlighting what women in the arts are doing to empower others like themselves.

Museum curators and artists must work together to make sure more female artists put on shows. Female artists must also be included in more permanent collections, as currently museums are dominated by men.

Unfortunately, inequality in the arts is a self-perpetuating problem. Men hold the majority of the top positions both at museums and in media. As a result, the few pioneering women who have climbed to the top of the art world are key. Together, they can forge a future where the art world is free from its current strain of gender bias.

NIC Berlin Conference Provides Insight During Changing Times

Politics around the world are changing. Events like Brexit and the election of populist political candidates across the world indicate a political shift. America and Europe have started to show more and more populist leanings, pushing for a more closed-off society.

This ideology has been made clear by several recent events in world politics. In order to build greater understanding of these global issues, educational institutions have been holding international conferences. For example, the National University of Singapore (“NUS”) put on a conference in Berlin this April.

The event was held by the NUS’ Medicine International Council (“NIC”) and well attended by respected experts. The topics covered highlighted the issues that recent political events have raised in public health policy.

Jamileh Kharrazi at National University of Singapore Board of Trustees Annual meeting in GermanyInternational Collaboration is Critical in a Global Society

The National University of Singapore (“NUS”) has been consistently ranked among the world’s top universities. It offers a diverse array of educational opportunities, including world-class science, medicine, law, arts, business, and computing programs. However, the leadership at NUS understands that collaboration makes for even better opportunities. That’s why NUS has partnered with several other institutes of higher learning around the world.

Indeed, NUS works with top US schools like Harvard University and others in order to capture the benefits of synergy. As top experts and academics come together and share ideas, valuable new knowledge is created. To achieve this end, NUS regularly holds international educational events like the NIC Berlin conference.

The NIC conference lasted three days, starting with a discussion of the changing political climate. The meeting provided an excellent perspective of growing nationalism and populism in the West. It tied these issues to public health policy, particularly as it pertains to immigrant populations. Over the past decade, millions have been forced to flee their homes to escape conflict.

As reported on NPR, over 40 million refugees were recorded in 2016 alone. Most refugees are women and children who need public health and social services when they arrive in their new homelands. Nationalist and populist ideologies restrict access to badly-needed services. As a result, those who provide medical care and social support to vulnerable populations have a keen eye on the political climate.